New Study: Skilled Nursing Facilities Delivered High-Quality Care During the Pandemic
Hebrew SeniorLife, empowering seniors to live their best lives, shared some important research news. An article published in the JAMA Health Forum demonstrates that despite caring for a sicker population with scarce resources, skilled nursing facilities were still able to provide high quality post-acute rehabilitation for patients after the emergence of COVID-19.
The JAMA article, Post-Acute Care Rehabilitation Services and Outcomes in Skilled Nursing Facilities Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic, was authored by Sandra Shi, M.D., MPH, assistant scientist at Hebrew SeniorLife’s Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research, et al.
The study credits nursing facilities (SNF) providing post-acute rehabilitation to quickly adapt to the extreme challenges of the pandemic, and provide high quality care for their patients. “During the pandemic we knew that fewer people went to skilled nursing facilities after hospitalizations, and it seemed like the ones that went were overall sicker, with more cognitive impairment and higher risk overall,” said Sandra M. Shi, M.D., M.P.H. Dr. Shi goes on to say that the study helps to demonstrate that despite caring for a sicker population under extreme conditions, the SNFs were still largely able to provide high quality post-acute rehabilitation for patients.
We are immensely grateful to the hard working SNF staff and administrators who during and post pandemic, continue to provide timely and high quality care to adults of all ages.
Thank you to Hebrew SeniorLife, and Honoring Choices MA Partner, for this important research, and for caring for more than 3,000 seniors a day across six campuses throughout Greater Boston.